Bosnian Health Official Says Croatia Expelling Migrants To Neighboring Country

Bosnian Health Official Says Croatia Expelling Migrants to Neighboring Country

Croatian police are methodically deporting migrants to neighboring Bosnia and Herzegovina, with some bearing signs of physical abuse, a Bosnian health official told Sputnik

BELGRADE (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 05th December, 2019) Croatian police are methodically deporting migrants to neighboring Bosnia and Herzegovina, with some bearing signs of physical abuse, a Bosnian health official told Sputnik.

"They are being returned here from the border, this is a fact recognized by the Croatian border police and the authorities. Migrants say they are being beaten, but as the Minister of Health I must approach this responsibly. We do not have documented examinations of doctors or other documents that confirm that the injuries were received as a result of an attack or police reaction," Dr. Nermina Cemalovic, Minister of Health of the Una-Sana region, which shares a border with Croatia, said to Sputnik.

The region's asylum centers now host around 3,500 migrants, with about as many living outside centers, Dr. Cemalovic said, adding that about 200 people were arriving daily while attempting to cross into Croatia. No records are available on how many are being repelled from the Croatian border.

In October, the European Commission recognized that Croatia, an EU member since 2013, was ready to enter the Schengen Area, the bloc's open borders area where the euro Currency is used. If accepted, the Balkan nation would need to pledge to uphold certain standards regarding border control and human rights. However, a formal decision is still pending.

Later in November, prominent rights group Human Rights Watch (HRW) accused Croatia of carrying out a violent pushback campaign against migrants coming from the middle East and Africa. Providing video evidence of abuse and interviews with victims, HRW called for Croatia's disqualification from Schengen consideration.

Croatian police made headlines last month when they opened fire against 15 illegal immigrants who were attempting to cross the Croatian border into Slovenia. One migrant was left in critical condition and required multiple surgeries, according to Dnevnik news outlet.

In another case, two Nigerian table tennis players who turned up in Bosnian asylum centers said they were forcefully expelled from Croatia by police. They were in Croatia legally to take part in a ping-pong tournament when police stopped them, drove them to the Bosnian border and left them there, they said in a video interview with Croatian Zurnal Online.

Though the Western Balkan migrant route leading from Greece through Macedonia and Serbia to Croatia was closed in 2016, migrants continue to cross into EU countries through a new Balkan route, increasing pressure on the reception capacities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania and Montenegro.

European countries are struggling with a migration crisis that began as a result of conflicts and economic hardships in the Middle East and Africa. The bloc has so far failed to work out a common policy on refugees and migrants, leading to profound disputes among member states, with some outright refusing to receive migrants.